According to CNN, someone posted photos of the teachers on the district’s Facebook page; in response, many parents began denouncing the costumes as racist in the comments. The post has since been deleted, but pictures of the costumes have continued to circulate online. People have continued calling them out for being offensive. “Bringing fear, belittlement, hostility, intimidation, otherness, into a classroom is inexcusable & unacceptable,” one activist wrote on Twitter. Author Heidi Heilig noted that the teachers were “creating and promoting a hostile learning environment to children.”

According to The Hill, the original post on Middleton School District’s Facebook page was replaced with an apology video from Superintendent Josh Middleton. “We now have to own those decisions,” he said, calling the costumes “clearly insensitive and inappropriate.” The Superintendent also added that he wanted to “express my sincerest and deepest apologies to our families, to our patrons.” At the time of writing, the district’s Facebook page no longer seems to be available to the public.

In a letter to parents on the district’s website, Middleton wrote that administrators are “currently reviewing and investigating the chain of events,” adding that “our students and student learning is what we are here for, so I ask we remain diligent to the daily mission, ‘Every Student Learning Every Day.’”

The Idaho Education Association (IEA) responded to the incident in a statement, calling the Halloween costumes “disturbing and inappropriate.” In a Facebook post, the organization explained that “the messages conveyed are the antithesis of the beliefs and values of the Idaho Education Association and its dedicated members throughout the state,” adding that they’d be willing to assist the Middleton School District with “diversity and cultural competency training.”

CNN’s Don Lemon addressed the incident in a November 3 segment, arguing that it’s “no accident” that this happened under the shadow of President Donald Trump’s policies, noting that Trump began his campaign by disparaging Mexican people with hateful rhetoric. “That kind of language, language that divides us, that’s not what this country is supposed to be about,” Lemon said.

As noted by The Hill, immigrant rights advocate Beth Almanza, who works with Idaho DACA Students, wrote on Facebook that “All children should have the right to a learning environment that celebrates all backgrounds. Imagine how some of the students felt when they walked into their classrooms on Halloween and saw their teachers (people they look up to) dressed like this? This is NOT funny. This is heartbreaking. Students deserve better.”

Teen Vogue has reached out to the Middleton School District for comment.